CHARLIE Austin returns to Turf Moor for the first time in the Premier League tomorrow, but his former boss Sean Dyche has backed Danny Ings as the ‘more rounded’ player.

Austin and Ings played together for two seasons at Turf Moor before Austin’s £4million departure for Queens Park Rangers in August 2013.

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Since then Ings, three years Austin’s junior, has taken over the goalscoring mantle for the Clarets, netting 26 times last season, and adding five Premier League goals this campaign.

Austin helped QPR to promotion through the play-offs last season, but his form in the top flight has been eye-catching, with 12 goals in 19 games.

Last season Austin suffered a rotten return to Turf Moor with Harry Redknapp’s side beaten 2-0, with Ings scoring both goals, and they head to East Lancashire tomorrow having lost all nine Premier League away games so far this season.

Dyche believes both are different players who offer their respective sides different attributes in terms of leading an attack.

“They’re very, very different players, which is why they worked together at times,” said the Burnley boss.

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“Charlie with his stature is more of a number nine, he is good at the basic principles of goalscoring, gets in the box a lot, arrives in the box a lot, it’s not rocket science.

“Ingsy can play more open-mindedly, he can play more like a number 10 off the front, he can play as the number nine up against the centre halves, so he is a slightly more rounded player in many ways, but both are effective in different ways.

“It depends how they are used, Charlie was used wisely here and Harry has got hold of using him wisely down there it seems with the goals he has scored.”

Austin scored 45 goals for the Clarets in 90 appearances, but has found the back of the net 32 times for the Hoops in 53 games since his move.

Sam Vokes has played with both at Burnley and had no doubts Austin would score goals in the Premier League.

Vokes, who marked his return from a cruciate knee ligament injury with a goal in the FA Cup third round stalemate with Tottenham on Monday night, backed his team-mates to keep Austin quiet at Turf Moor.

“We all know he’s a top goalscorer and that’s what he’s been doing,” said the Welsh international.

“It’s important for us to keep him quiet on Saturday.

“Everyone saw that he was a natural goalscorer and he’s taken to it. I don’t think from our point of view we need to worry about that too much.

“We’ve come up against some top strikers in the last few games and dealt with them so it’s another challenge for us.”

Vokes, who will be competing with Ashley Barnes for a start, agrees with his manager’s assessment that the two offer different things as strike partners, but believes Ings is crucial for the Clarets.

“They both know where the back of the net is, which is important as a striker,” he said.

“They are different players in themselves, but for us Ingsy is key at the moment. He’s been a massive plus for us this season.”

Austin will be tasked with helping to end QPR’s rotten away record this season. Three of his 12 goals have come when the Hoops have been on their travels, at Southampton, Chelsea and Arsenal.